The following officers and enlisted men having reported to
this station per Par. 1, Special Order 115, Hq, AAF Sta. 137, 23 July 1944, are
hereby assigned as indicated... including to 391st Squadron:

2 Lt Friedel, John N. (1092)
(P)O-761919

2 Lt Brown, Jack N.(1092)(CP)O-767480

2 Lt Billman, Charles A. (1034)(N)O-709265

F/O Tevis, Cecil S. (B)T-2535

S/Sgt Backens, Melvin A. (748)(E)37462530

Sgt Meade, David G.(757)(R)34770162

Sgt Childers, Louis C.(611)(G)38564640

Sgt Curtis, Harley E. (611)(G)37538306

Sgt Brady, Homer L. (748)(G)18187476

Sgt Cohen, Norman(612)(G)12193252

CREW #102; 391st Squadron

The Friedel crew arrived in England on June 6, 1944. They were
sent to the 487th BG at Lavenham, England and flew four B-24 missions with the
487th BG. They then had a transition flight in a B-17 before being transferred
to the 34th BG. Flew just one B-24 mission with the 34th BG before again flying
a transition flight in a B-17. They were assigned a new B-17G, 43-38343, which
they later named "The Big Gear." (This information and the mission
comments below are from an article by John Friedel in MM, June 1998, page 17.)

CREW #102; 391st Squadron (as of July 28, 1944)

Friedel (P)

Brown, J. N. (CP)

Billman (N)

Tevis (B)

Meade (R)

Backens (E)

Childers (NG)

Cohen, N. (TG)

Curtis (BG)

Brady (G)

Mission #62 August 18, 1944 42-52752 L/E 391BS Friedel unknown
name

Took off at 0627 hours.

Was to fly position 4-2 in Lead Squadron, but shifted to
position 4-1 when Meyer aborted.

"We experienced our most sobering feelings when we saw
two planes in the squadron just ahead of us go down together. Durette and
Whited were the pilots of the planes. It appeared that one of them, in the high
element, stalled and fell onto the other in the lower element." John
Friedel

"On our 31st mission, (the 34th's 100th), we carried
leaflets instead of bombs. On the bomb run we discovered that our bomb bay
doors wouldn't open electrically. We cranked the doors open. It took a long
time because the leaflet containers interfered with the turning of the crank. When
we finally had the doors open, we were miles beyond the target, over Darmstadt,
Germany, but we dropped the leaflets anyway, wondering where they would
land." John Friedel

Mission #101 December 15, 1944 43-38343 L/I 391BS Friedel

Mission #102 December 24, 1944 43-38343 L/I 391BS Friedel

Mission #103 December 27, 1944 43-38343 L/I 391BS Friedel

Mission #104 December 28, 1944 43-38382 L/Q 391BS Friedel Queenie

"Our most anxious moments were during our 35th and last
mission. We were flying the left wing of the low element lead. The plane flying
right wing of the low section lead element wandered out of position several
times, each time moving over us. We found ourselves looking up into a bomb bay
that was about to drop bombs and wondering if we were going to be able to avoid
them." John Friedel